used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
availedverbUS /əˈveɪld/
past form of “avail” — use to one's advantage
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
chancedverbUS /tʃænst/
past form of “chance” — be the case by chance
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
coupledadjectiveUS /ˈkʌpəld/
joined together especially in a pair or pairs
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
dineverbUS /daɪn/
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
having the place or position changed
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
enjoymentnounUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪmənt/
the pleasure felt when having a good time
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
divisible by two
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading THE GATE OF PARADISE.
GravesnounUS /ɡreɪvz/
English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
happieradjectiveUS /ˈhæpiər/
comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
invitationsnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “invitation” — a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE GATE OF PARADISE.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
overwhelmingadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/
so strong as to be irresistible
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
PARADISEnounUS /ˈperədaɪs/
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading THE GATE OF PARADISE.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading For his part Henry avoided the house as much as possible.
prostrated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
express in words
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
a male human offspring
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GATE OF PARADISE.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
unwelladjectiveUS /ənˈwel/
somewhat ill or prone to illness
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For some days Lady Graves was completely prostrated by this new and terrible misfortune, which, following as it did hard upon the hope of happier things, seemed to her utterly overwhelming.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading She dared not even trust herself to see her son, but kept her room, sending a message to him to say that she was unwell and did not wish to be disturbed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As it chanced, he had several invitations to shoot during this particular week, one of them coupled with an engagement to dine and sleep; and of all of these he availed himself, though they brought him little enjoyment.
